


30 days

by Time_is_fading



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Kidge - Freeform, May add tags, One Word Prompts, Romance, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-02 00:41:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 17,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11498190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Time_is_fading/pseuds/Time_is_fading
Summary: This is a collection of Kidge drabbles. This is product of a prompt challenge I found online and I decided to apply it to this ship, it will last 30 days, and each day a new drabble will be added. It may contain fluff, angst, AUs, etc.





	1. Chapter 1

**FROST**

Keith pulled his jacket tightly in a futile attempt to keep off the cold. He'd grown up in a desert, but he'd always prefered the glaring heat of the sun better than the freezing breeze of the night. 

_"Cuddly much, huh? That permanent scowl you got could've fooled me," said the girl he had just pulled into his embrace. He frowned, offended, and let his arms fall back to his sides._

_"Hey, it's a joke, come back here! I'll cuddle you as much as you want," she said again, taking his arms and putting them around her once more._

He'd left the desert behind and changed it for a big cliché city, but not exactly willingly. A memory kept him there, simple words written in stone. Snow fell all around, covering him and his surroundings in a pristine white that seemed to mock him. 

_"I know you're not supposed to see me in the dress before the big day," she said when she came out of the room wearing what she had recently bought. "But I wanted to warn you about how frilly it is."_

_"I think you look beautiful," he responded with his mouth still agape._

_"Flatterer," she tried to dissmiss him, but the blush on her cheeks gave her away._

He went down the street without noticing the strange faces that walked by, focusing solely on looking straight ahead. There used to be a time when he found comfort on glancing at all the different faces and wondering how their lives were, and thinking that no one could be happier than him. How foolish he'd been.  

_"Do you see that guy over there, you know, the one frowning?" He nodded. "Well, I don't think he has anyone to listen to him ranting about his problems. You do, so please talk to me," she begged him, those amber eyes he loved so much piercing his soul._

He was fast and determinate in his steps, like he'd always been while flying, so he arrived sooner than expected to his destination. He crossed the old gateway and walked among the perfect little tombstones with names of people he didn't care about. 

_"I've never liked cemeteries, they have a creepy vibe," she whispered to him while holding his arm on a strong grip._

_"Neither do I, but you have to meet my father before the wedding," he told her on a hushed tone. "He'd be proud to have you as his daughter-in-law."_

When he finally found the one he was looking for, he stopped and stood in front of it for a second before kneeling on the frozen grass. The grave was covered in frost, just like his heart. He took a shaky breath and stared at the name, like he'd done so many times already.  

**"Katherine Holt"**

**Legendary Defender of the Universe**

**Beloved daughter, sister and friend**

Tears betrayed him and started running down his cheeks. She hated graveyards, but the government had buried her alongside other national heroes in that dreadful place. The epitaph was missing a keyword, 'wife'. She never became one, their plans had been ruined by the drunk bastard that crashed his car against hers and took her life. 

The next day would have been their first Christmas as a family, but instead it was his first holiday alone. It was surprising how time went by in a blur when life was dull. Without her, it would always be dull. 

 

 


	2. Sunlight

They arrived on Earth in the middle of the night. It hadn't been planned like that, but they weren't allowed to be picky. Lance and Hunk had asked to be dropped off at their homes, saying they couldn't wait to see their families and that it'd be easier to explain this whole ordeal without a bunch of strangers standing awkwardly in the living room. They had an excellent point.

This left the rest of the paladins and the alteans on their own. Although Shiro wanted to see his parents desperately, their first stop had been the Holt residence. Samuel and Matt had been recently rescued, and the galactic warriors had a family to reunite.

Hugs were given, tears were shared, and a lot of reassuring words were said. Even the ones that weren't blood related had been forced to participate in these activities. Relief could be sensed in the air, and albeit a million questions hanged on the tip of Colleen's tongue, she knew this wasn't the moment for explanations.

They spent hours on this lovely gathering, and by the time everyone decided they needed to rest, it was nearly dawn. That's how the green and red paladins found themselves outside the little house, unable to sleep. Sunrise would come soon, so they could pretend to be waiting for it, as an excuse to remain awake.

The future was uncertain, they had no idea of what came next. They felt like it'd been an eternity since they'd been on their home planet, and they weren't so sure they belonged there anymore.

However, as the first rays of light hit their faces and illuminated everything around them, they forgot about this incertitude. The clear skies and the rising sun were promises of a new beginning. They knew that, whatever happened, they still had each other, and always would.


	3. Laughter

The first time she noticed his laughter was during the weirdest mission they'd had so far.

They were stuck on quite a bizarre place, where everything seemed to be covered with a slimy substance that was apparently the equivalent of water for earthlings. It turns out that, after hearing about Voltron's comeback, the species that lived there decided to rebel against the Galras that were controlling their planet. They were strong and organized, so soon enough they managed to defeat almost every enemy post there was. So, when Voltron finally arrived, all they had to do was find the last soldiers that were hiding underground like the little cowards they were.

They'd been walking around some dark sticky tunnels, when suddenly, Lance slipped and fell. But it'd seemed like his limbs had flailed around in slow motion, and the sight had been so comical that everyone started laughing.

That's when she heard such an unfamiliar sound. At the beginning, it'd been mixed with everyone's chortles, but then she noticed the peculiar noise. It wasn't like a celestial choir, in fact, it was a bit freaky and awkward. But it was strangely contagious, and oddly enough, she found herself enjoying it.

Since that moment, whenever the team shared a good chuckle, she unconsciously strained her ears to catch those clearly non-melodious notes. They were quite rare, and perhaps this was what made her so interested in them. She wanted to know why they only appeared once in a while and why they remained hidden most of the time.

She swore that this was the only thing that kept her always so aware of him. If anyone were to insinuate something else, she had a list of reasons —excuses— for her behavior. She convinced herself that he was like a mistery, and she was nothing but a detective who wanted to uncover it, from afar.   
  
It was only one late night when she was going back to her room after spending hours with her lion, that she finally got the answers she wanted. She heard hushed giggles coming from Lance's quarters. Curiosity won the best of her, so she decided to get closer to the door. For research purposes, obviously. She heard two voices, and to her surprise, one of them belonged to the red paladin.

And it finally dawned on her, why he laughed. He only did so when Lance did or said something funny, and he was always so quiet about it because that music was reserved only for his ears. It all made sense now, and even though she was proud for having realized this, there was also a bittersweet feeling on her chest.

She tried to ignore it and move on to the next riddle, but she couldn't simply forget it. Every time she heard him snigger, that heavy sensation arised once more, and no matter how hard she tried to disregard it, she knew what it meant.

It was a reminder that his laughter would never be hers. 


	4. Running

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got carried away with writing the action, then remembered this is supposed to be romantic. Sorry for giving you so much angst, this will be nice, I promise.

It started out as a normal mission. They wanted to aquire info about the captives that weren't sent to the arena to fight in order to find Pidge's father, so the team split up in three groups. Each one had to assault a different prision. Lance and Shiro had been sent to one on the Gamma sector, Hunk and Allura (alongside Coran) went to the Epsilon sector, and Keith and Pidge went to the Lambda sector.

For the last group, at first, the location had seemed like a pretty basic jail, without many custodians and just enough security measures so the people locked up couldn't escape. It had been quite simple to find a breach to get in, avoid some painfully unaware sentrys and locate the control room. What they certainly didn't expect was the riot that started right when they began the final stage of their plan. Pidge had been hacking into the main computer to override the cells and let everyone free, when suddenly war cries filled the air. Apparently, the captives were already one step ahead, and had released themselves.

The paladins were forced to interrupt the computer's activities because some guards barged in and attacked them. They defended themselves and got out of that chamber. Out in the halls, everything was an absolute chaos. Prisioners fought their way through in a thoroughly organized mess, and actually managed to get the upper hand.

The teenagers, seeing that their original plan had been improved, decided to go along with this revolt and started fighting with the rebels. They slashed, punched and striked their enemies with a passion driven by the wails of the mutinous inmates. It was exhausting, but it was definitely worth it.

However, at one point of the fight, the two friends ended up separated from each other. They didn't remember how it happened, or who had been the one to move away, but that didn't really matter much, they still had their comms on anyway. They were too confident, so a good scare was due to come their way.

Keith was in the middle of knocking down a foe when he heard distress sounds coming from his helmet. They weren't the ragged breaths and grunts he'd heard for the last hour and that he'd gotten used to. They were...shouts, and that only meant his partner was in trouble. He avoided engaging in combat and ran aimlessly around the complex, hoping he would come upon her. His mind began formulating worst case scenarios where he never found her, or if he did, she was gravely injured. He tried to get rid of this intrusive thoughts, but every second that went by without him seeing her, the stronger they became.

And finally, he saw her around a corner. She was standing on top of some recently defeated opponents, and by the looks of her, it had been a difficult feat. Without even thinking it twice, he strode up to her and gave her the tightest hug he'd ever given to someone. She looked at him weirdly, but when she was about to comment it, more rivals appeared.

When all the fighting was done, they contacted Allura and took the mavericks to the castle to be healed and taken care of. While attending their guests, he noticed her giving him curious side glances, as if trying to analyze him. If he were to be entirely honest, he didn't know what had made him embrace her like that, but he didn't exactly regret it. Just thinking about it was embarrassing. 

If she noticed his red cheeks, she didn't say anything.


	5. Teasing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still sorry for the past angst, so have more fluff!! This turned out better than I expected, given the word was such a tease, get it? Alright, on to the story.

"You're pulling my hair!" exclaimed the girl sitting in front of Keith, who was running his fingers through her locks.

"Sorry" he said, trying to move his hands more gently to avoid disturbing Pidge.

They had started dating only a week ago. Since their relationship was so recent, they were still a bit awkward around each other. Because of this, their behavior was a bit stunted and sluggish. They were unusually nervous when they were near, they got sweaty and stuttered or tripped, which was very uncharacteristical from them. Their friends were a bit worried about their jitters, because new couples are generally all lovey-dovey and touchy-feely. They probably just needed some time to adjust and they'd be fine. If that didn't happen, then their friends would take action (they weren't entirely sure what kind of action, but they'd figure it out).

The real reason why these two were always so fidgety, was that they were afraid to make the rest uncomfortable. They didn't want to be the annoying sweethearts who bragged and made everyone hate love. They wanted to maintain the team's dynamics, or at least make as little changes as they could.

It had been difficult enough to keep their budding relationship hidden from them. They didn't share many glances, they fought the urge to hold hands, and they never chatted more than necessary when the others were on the same room. That's why it had been so weird when the two suddenly declared they were a thing. Not that the team had objected to it, the heart wants what the heart wants, right?

However, all kind of things had happened when they were alone: long conversations, shared stories, and playful smirks. Sooner than expected, those evolved into longing looks, lingering touches, and warm feelings. It became really hard to keep these concealed, so after mulling on it and discussing it for a long while, they decided to be an official couple. Not that they actually dared to let it all out, but if they wanted to, they had the chance. But for now, they prefered to save their affection to themselves, so their secret gatherings remained concealed.

One of the first times they began bonding occurred when Pidge found Keith going back to his room after having trained and taken a bath. He seemed to be extremely tired, and even though he was clean, he looked like a mess. She'd offered to help him relax and look halfway decent, and because he was tired and didn't want to fight, he accepted. That night she'd combed his waves and curls with her bare hands, and the sensation was so nice, he almost fell asleep.

From there on, a good part of their encounters consisted on one of them smoothing the tresses of the other. Which is exactly what they were doing this particular night.

"You have a lot of tangles, when was the last time you brushed your hair?" asked the boy who was currently concerned on arranging the clutter on top of his girlfriend's head.

"When was the last time you did this?" she responded cheekyly.

"I'm not surprised. You probably don't know what a brush is," he replied with a smug grin.

"Oh shut up, your hair is a mess too!"

"But yours is much worse."

"At least is not a mullet."

"Now, that was a low blow," he said, but he didn't sound offended at all. "Besides, if it was any different, you wouldn't be able to play with it."

"That's true, and that'd be a shame for you. You're like a cat that wants to be petted all the time."

"And you're not?" he asked with his eyebrows raised in a playful manner.

"Nope, definitely not."

"Then you won't mind if I stop," he said while removing his hands from her scalp.

"Well, perhaps you're rubbing of on me. Now keep untangling my hair please," she requested, so he continued doing that with a fond smile.

And for that moment, he let himself believe that every knot he teased out was a concern that dissapeared from her mind.


	6. Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This hurt to write, and I'm really sorry for it. Mentions of torture, but they're described as little as possible, cause it creeps me out.

Everyone had been doing what they were assigned during the mission, but of course the security would be tighter than they thought. It turned out the enemy, for the first time, had anticipated their move and gotten one step ahead. It was a trap, this they realized when the guards flooded the precinct and came at them from every single corner. Unluckily for the universe's saviors, they were all in different positions of the compound. This meant that each one was on their own. They struggled against the unending wave of sentries but eventually, they made it back to their lions. Except, obviously, for one.

Pidge had been at the control room when the adversaries started attacking savagely. She had stopped hacking and defended herself, just the way she learned while practicing in the castle. She proved to be a true paladin with the way she dodged and striked. She was doing a good job at falling back to the entrance where all the lions were waiting, when the worst happened.

It had been an accident, but Keith would never forgive himself for it. He had been walking down a hall towards the escaping point, backwards so as to fight off the oncoming foes. Due to this, he didn't notice the intersection, nor his fellow green paladin heading straight for him. Naturally, they crashed. Their rivals took advantage of this and seized their limbs, much to the teenagers chagrin. They squirmed under their holds, but the boy managed to untangle himself and fight the ones who were previously grasping him. However, she had lost grip of her bayard. The soldiers took it and shocked her into unconsciousness with her own weapon. By the time Keith perceived this, it was already too late. They were a large crew, and while the ones who had caught her took her away, the rest prevented him from getting to his friend. The incredibly large amount of opponents forced him to recede, until he unwillingly arrived to his original destination.

He told his other friends what had occurred through the comms, and they had gotten on their lions with their minds set to rescue the missing girl. Again, their plans were ruined, because the base they had just gotten out from self-destroyed, a few Galra ships escaping mere seconds before it exploded.

* * *

 

That had happened approximately three months ago, and they still hadn't found her. She had been taken to the leaders of the empire, Prince Lotor and Haggar. They had held her captive during all that time, and they surely ascertained she was worth keeping alive.

She had been hard to crack. Haggar and her followers had a rough time trying to make her talk. They tested many different... coaxing methods on her, but she always refused to cooperate. Until one day, they finally found what made her tick. It had been an unintended discovery, but not actually unwelcomed.

When Katie was a toddler, her brother had almost drowned on their inflatable pool. Since that moment she had been terrified of suffocating in the water. Her captors benefited from this new knowledge, and used it against her. They had proceeded to submerge her head on water for a few moments, pull her out and then plunge her back in. She had tried to resist, she really had, but it just felt so horrible. In the span of a week, she had spilled all the information they wanted.

She felt like a weak traitor, but that would mean nothing in a matter of seconds. Since she had nothing else to offer, the prince and the witch had decided to get rid of her, but they would make her suffer till the end. They had put her inside a highly secured tank with a timer, showing off how little time she had left. The tank was slowly filling with water, and when the countdown got to zero, she would be entirely submerged in that dreadful liquid.

As the water reached her nose, she closed her eyes and held her breath, hoping for her friends to come save her. Even though she knew it was very improbable they would appear out of nowhere, she let herself fancy. She saw them barge in through the door, heard them calling her name and saw the emo guy, who she liked more than she admitted, break the glass that kept her trapped.

 

Then she opened her eyes and inhaled, water everywhere.


	7. Leather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> High school AU no one asked for. And we go back to the nice stuff wuuu

It was a chilly October Friday, and school was over for the day. All the teens were excited for the weekend, or at least relieved they had two days to relax. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge were discussing their plans for that afternoon as they walked out of the building and onto the street. The guys wanted to go to a nearby café and hang out; unfortunately, she already had something to do.

"You're going out with that shady weirdo, again?" Lance asked with an unbelieving voice.

"He's not shady," she said annoyed. "Perhaps a little emo, but nothing else."

"You sure 'bout that? He's always brooding, he never talks to anyone, and he's always getting into fights," Hunk explained. "If I were you, I wouldn't want to be near someone like that."

"Well, you're not!" she spat, startling the boys. "Sorry," she whispered sheepishly when she regained her self-control. "It's just, you wouldn't say that if you knew him. He's a nice kid, I swear. Just... give him a chance."

Her friends shared a look before sighing in defeat. "Alright, but he does anything funny and that's it!" Hunk declared in what he deemed to be a nonsensical tone, and his words brought a satisfied smile to her face.

Right then, they saw the subject of their conversation standing next to a motorcycle, right in front of them. Keith was waiting for her, with two helmets on his vehicle. When his eyes landed on her, they seemed to sparkle, which didn't escape the other boys' notice. While she stepped forward, the other two stopped. They were close enough to hear, but not to intrude.

"Hey, you ready to leave?" questioned the guy with a breathy voice.

"Sure," she answered excitedly. "I didn't know you had a motorbike."

_"That seems shady to me." Hunk mumbled._   
_"Man, he's not making it easy to like him," whispered Lance._

"I don't use it that much, I usually walk around, it's quite relaxing." She nodded in understanding. "You've ever ridden one?" he asked her.

"Oh no, they're nice and all, but also very dangerous."

"My middle name is dangerous," he smirked.

_"See! He's up to no good!" Lance desperately murmured._

"Dangerously ridiculous, you mean," she retorted. Surprisingly for the bystanders, her witty remark, instead of making him angry, made his smirk turn into a playful grin.

"You're always right," he nodded in amused agreement. "Shall we get going, then?"

"Of course!" she responded in a rush. Suddenly a crisp breeze hit them, making them shiver a little.

"It's cold, take this," he told her while removing his leather jacket and wrapping it around her. She looked at him in a daze, his hands lingering on her shoulders for more time than would be considered normal.

"Oh boy!" blurted out Lance and Hunk at the same time.

This shocked the other two out of their haze. They finally realized they had an audience, and the embarrassment showed through their flushed faces.

"I thought you'd left," she told them while putting on the jacket correctly. She still looked really flustered. "Well, see ya!"

As the two 'friends' got onto the motorbike and drove off, Hunk and Lance reflected on what they had just seen.

"I think we'll see a lot more of him."   
"Yeah, they got it bad, don't they?"   
"More like terrible."


	8. Overwhelm

A choice had been taken. The five humans would stay on Earth with their families, at least for a while. Given the lack of a head to direct the Galras, they had no good organization. Those remaining bases and strike teams were isolated from the rest, and thus acted on their own volition. Needless to say, they took terrible decisions and weren't much of a threat for the moment.

This gave the Voltron team a huge advantage over their rivals, so they could afford a little break from their duty. Allura and Coran would go back into the cosmos to build new political relationships with the recently freed cultures. Meanwhile, the paladins would stay with their families, trying to make up for the lost time. The humans were delighted with this little vacation they had, determined to create new memories to keep them going when they left for space again. The friends spent a week like this, enjoying the sensation of familiarity, before realizing that one of them wasn't savoring the taste of home.

Pidge was the first to notice something was off when she called to check in on Shiro and Keith, and found out the latter wasn't there. In fact, he had never been. Keith told everyone he'd stay with Shiro, and then told the aforementioned he'd stay with Hunk. In reality, he was with no one.

The four remaining pals immediately got on alert and started looking for the missing teen. One of the first places they thought they could look into was the shack in the middle of the desert, in which Keith had lived for almost a year. Since Pidge was the closest to that location, she was chosen to explore it.

Matt drove her there, but decided to wait outside just in case. She went into the crumbling little building, and surprisingly, Keith was there. He seemed to be as ruined as the site he was staying in. She didn't really expect he would go back to that forsaken place, but apparently he had.

When he saw Pidge enter his cabin, at first he thought it was a dream. Then she hugged him, and he knew he'd never felt something more real. Her presence meant they had discovered his scheme, but he hadn't actually believed they would come get him. The knowledge that this wasn't only an illusion, that she was palpable and there for him, was enough to break him down.

Before the whole Voltron ordeal, he was alone. The people he cared about had left him to his own devices, and this made him untrusting. He was young, reckless, and in desperate need of someone to help him, yet no one ever came. He made a lot of mistakes, which caused him to have a really hard time, but he endured everything by himself. All that loneliness was simply overwhelming, but his life was turned around when Shiro reappeared. The rest was history. 

However, they were once more on their planet, and he'd never felt more alien. If he didn't belong back then, he certainly didn't belong right now. What the others considered to be 'home', for him was just a reminder of the hard times he'd lived. He didn't want to be an outcast, he didn't want to be forlorn. He had finally found a family, and he didn't want to go back to what it was before.

But her being there, her comforting him and telling him reassuring words, meant that things were different now. He had a family who cared, and that's when he understood; he'd never be alone again. 


	9. Allergies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normal life AU, I guess. Also, I'm allergic to dogs but love them, so...this.

"Welcome to my humble abode," said the giggling girl as she opened up the door to her apartment. "It's a bit small, but we'll make it cozy," she ushered her companion inside.

Just as the boy entered the place, a small dog came running at him and barked loudly, startling him. After making sure the door was locked correctly, she walked up to him and petted the dog. "I see you've met Stitch, isn't he a cutie?"

"Stich?" he asked curiously. The dog wasn't blue, weird, or alien. The alien was his owner.

She looked at him straight on and stated in a serious voice: "He used to be a collie before he got ran over."

He just stared flabbergasted at her, but she quickly regained her inviting grin and explained: "The people from the adoption center told me someone had ran over him, but a kind soul managed to rescue him. One of his legs is useless now, but that sure doesn't stop him, right buddy?" that last part she directed to Stich.

"Oh, I don't know what to say about that," he replied very confused.

"You don't have to say anything, only pet him. He's a bit jumpy, but turns into mush the moment your hand touches him."

So the boy proceeded to caress the dog, and verified that it immediately calmed down. He didn't have the heart to tell his girlfriend he was allergic to fur, and besides, it was just for a few hours.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching movies and cuddling in the couch. Stitch took the opportunity and snuggled with them, and the boy realized he was truly lovely. He was obviously a spoiled dog, but he enjoyed a lot being around the tiny animal.

To his amazement, he didn't get a rash, or sneezed at any moment. His nose got a little runny, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. The girl and doggy he held in his arms were worth it.


	10. Dance

The Paladins had been invited to a ball. It was an elegant event, full of important people and top notch aliens. Unfortunately, the humans had never actually been to such a fancy event, so they didn't exactly stand out for their posh behavior. Allura and Coran made up for it with their good manners and natural talent to create fine allies. This left the five youngsters to enjoy the party, and although they didn't make any connections, they sure had fun.

Shiro had been accosted by a group of fans, and entertained them with anecdotes of Earth. Hunk had decided to spend his time tasting every meal that crossed his way, and giving his opinion on each of these. Lance had decided to dance the night away, and dragged Pidge along to be his victim —a.k.a. dance partner. However, Keith didn't seem to like this very much, and so far resigned himself to sit on a chair and glare in his friends' direction. Keith's antics didn't go unnoticed by Lance, who quickly thought of a plan.

"Hey, Pidge," he whispered while leaning towards her ear. "Wanna make a bet?"

"Oh?" she replied interested. She never gave up a chance to win against her friend.

"I bet I can make Mr. Emo dance with me before you can."

"What's the prize?"

"A week of cleaning up the other's room." She considered it for a few seconds before smirking at him.

"You're going down, ballerina." And having said that, they split up and headed towards the table where the subject of their conversation was sitting. They sat down, each at one side of the boy.

"Hey Keith, my man, wanna dance?" asked Lance, heading straight to the point. Meanwhile, Pidge nursed a glass of some purple liquid, waiting for everything to blow up in Lance's face.

"No," replied Keith with a frown.

"Why not? It'll be fun," Lance insisted.

"I don't know how to dance."

"I can teach you, I got the rhythm in my blood."

"Pass," Keith growled, getting more annoyed by the second.

Seeing Lance's attempt fail miserably, Pidge quickly jumped in and took her chance. She let go of her glass and grabbed Keith's hand on a strong grip.

"Wanna get away from the maniac on the floor?" she asked kindly.

Keith glanced at Lance warily before turning back to her and saying: "Lead the way." And with that they both stood up and left Lance. He was a bit sad he had lost the bet and had to clean Pidge's room now, but at least he'd helped his edgy friend. Besides, nobody ever said being a wingman was easy.

Pidge led Keith to the dance floor, but he didn't notice until they'd stopped in the center. Holding her hand made him feel dizzy.

"I don't know how to dance," he stated, trying to make an excuse to get away.

"I don't think anyone here does," she retorted. Looking around the place, everyone seemed to be dancing to a different beat and with different moves.

"Lance knows."

"Then why didn't you dance with him?"

"He knows too much. I don't want to twist and twirl."

"That's true," she giggled. "But don't worry, I won't make you twist or twirl. I could dip you, though."

"Don't you dare," he tried to threaten, but it came out more like a scared squeak. She laughed a bit more.

"Relax, all you gotta do is sway," she reassured him. She positioned his hands on her waist, and put her hands on his shoulders.

As they moved slowly to the melody, he got calmer and more comfortable. It was actually very nice, and he soon found himself enjoying it.

Lance watched the new dance partners and smiled; it was nice to see his friends having fun. Hunk arrived at the table and sat next to him. As he looked at where Lance was staring fondly, he saw the dancing couple and his eyebrows lifted up way more than necessary.

"How did that happen?" he wondered.

Lance turned to Hunk and replied proudly: "That's how the job of a good wingman looks. Even if the oblivious guy never asked."

Right then they heard a yell coming from the middle of the hall.

"I told you not to dip me, Pidge!"


	11. Stranger

_"Is this the end?"_

It had been a long time since Keith graduated from high school. As far as he could remember, it had been an unpleasant experience full of bothersome teens and conceited teachers. He never really got along with anyone besides Shiro, all the other kids were too much of a burden for him. Unfortunately, his best friend was older than him and left the school a couple years before he did. He certainly had excellent grades, but his behavior was nowhere near acceptable; it was a miracle he never got expelled.

_"You've done enough for the universe, we can't keep stealing away your lives."_

And yet here he was, ten years later stuck on a class reunion. He didn't really remember a lot of people, and the ones he did weren't precisely the epitomes of kindness. He never planned to go, but his self-proclaimed brother forced him to attend. Shiro thought it would help him socialize, but he didn't want to be with some old classmates he didn't even care about.

_"What's going to happen now?"_

He tried to remain unnoticed by leaning against the wall and avoiding eye contact with everyone that came near. When a person dared to talk to him, he gave short and scathing replies. This assured he stayed alone for most of the evening; the people there thinking he was a weirdo, just like they used to back then.

_"I don't want to leave. This is my life now!"_

While he was absent-mindedly gazing around, incredibly bored, something caught his eye. It was the swish of someone's hair, a light brown mess of waves. He felt like he had seen it before, and it enticed him to come closer to it.

_"There's nothing left for you here."_

His feet carried him amongst the small crowd without him noticing. Before he could stop, he had already arrived and put a hand on the shoulder of the hair's owner. It was a girl, and as she turned around to face him, he felt something jump in his chest. Her face was unknown but at the same time felt painfully familiar, like something he could barely recall.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" she asked.

"Ah, maybe? I'm Keith Kogane," he said nervously.

"No, that name doesn't ring any bells. We must have been in different classes."

"Are you sure? I think I know you, what's your name?"

"If you knew me, you wouldn't be asking," she smirked. "Katie Holt, but perhaps you're mistaking me for someone else?"

"That must be it, sorry to bother you," he replied deflated. He had never heard that name before.

"Don't worry. Apparently my looks are quite common, this is the third time today this happens. Anyway, nice to meet you, mauve eyes!"

As soon as those words left her mouth, something happened inside of him. It was like a wall had broken down in his brain, and everything that was trapped got released. Memories of outer space, never-ending battles, giant robotic lions, strong bonds, adventures, aliens, and everything he had experienced came back. But most importantly, the family he gained and had learned to love, those people he would die and kill for, the ones he had vowed to never forget, but unknowingly did. And that brilliant girl he had shared all his secrets with, the one who had nicknamed him for his unusual eye color, the one he had loved madly, and with whom he had wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

"Pidge," he whispered, coming out of his daze. She had already walked away. 

_"Perhaps it's best if you don't remember."_


	12. Hope

His mother was a shooting star who had fallen deeply in love with a mere mortal, this much his father had told him. However, being a celestial body, she had to return to where she truly belonged. Upon her wake, she left nothing but sorrow and desolation in the heart she had touched, in the life she had created.

So he gazed at the sky every night, reaching out for someone whose existence was uncertain, whose motives where ambiguous, whose affection was a dream. He gazed and let his mind wander into the depths of space, where he searched for an answer, anything to prove she was real and had loved him more than he could ever imagine.

She had been the first to leave, but definitely not the last. His father soon walked on her footsteps and left, his untimely death destined forever to be an unresolved mystery. He was now alone in an unforgiving world, lost and afraid. The only solace he found was to presume his dad's wish to see again that woman he loved so much had come true. Perhaps he had turned into cosmic dust, and joined the trail she left behind. He would follow her anywhere, and they would see the whole universe until it disappeared.

Then, he met a couple who took him under their wing. He had a kind smile and strong arms; she had a fond look and smelled like pastries. He learned with them what it felt like to have a normal family, without anyone missing. He even got to have an older brother, Shiro. He was the perfect combination of his parents, the right balance between their qualities. He showed Keith that the sky he stared so longingly at, was right at his grasp. He fed his illusions with facts, his desire with determination, and his creativity with resources.

Then those foolish expectations were shattered by the harsh reality. Shiro went to space, and dissappeared. His sun had been eclipsed by a looming darkness, and all the promises the universe held for him turned into horrible nightmares. He ran away from the grieving parents, ran away from the key to his dreams, ran away to the desert where it all began. The galaxy had betrayed him, but he would get revenge. He would get Shiro back, even if that meant having to set his fantasies ablaze.

He eventually found his brother, and accidentally went to space. New acquaintances were made, bonds were forged, and adventures were lived. He discovered what the torment that had broken his impressions was, and how he could halt it. The truth about his mother was also revealed, and it was devastating, but necessary.

And time passed by, war never stopped, and life went on. His dream to reach the stars had became a reality so long ago, that he no longer wanted to explore. The stars had lied to him, and now he wanted nothing more to do with them. He was exhausted for always being on edge, for having no time for himself, for not finding the answers he was looking for. So long ago, and there were still questions lingering in his head. Yet, he couldn't give up. He had a responsibility, a debt with everyone who was caring. He owed it to the couple he left without a second thought.

Whenever it got too overbearing, he looked at the girl —now woman—with the sun in her eyes. She wasn't a wandering star, she was a blossoming flower. Her waves were petals he caressed, her hands were leaves that turned everything she touched into something useful, and her skin had the nectar he could barely refrain from tasting. She held the promise of Earth and the offer of a home, so he dared hope. Hope for peace, hope for love, hope for the future.

He hoped she wouldn't leave as well.


	13. New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are these drabbles of your liking? What can I improve? Which style do you like the most? Would you like me to add more to a certain drabble?

"What are we going to do now?" asked the fretting man as he walked the same path over and over again.

"I don't know," replied the woman who was sitting down on the couch. She couldn't trust her legs to support her right now.

"What do you mean you don't know? You should know!" he said in an incredibly high volume.

"Forgive me if I don't, it's not like I've ever been in such a situation!" she yelled back at him. "Please sit down, you're making me nervous," she added a bit calmer. He miraculously did as told and took a seat next to her, affliction still showing in his face.

"Your parents are going to kill me," he stated while staring at the nothingness. "They don't even like me, it would kill them if they knew what we've been doing... and then they would kill us. And your job, you love your job. They're gonna kick you out, I'm sure. Isn't that illegal though? I hope it's illegal, you really like your job, I don't want you to lose it. But we don't have a lot of money, will I have to sell a kidney? One surgery for you and one for me, that would be fair–"

"Keith, you're rambling," she interrupted. "Look, I know you're scared," she sighed. "I'm scared too, but we'll manage, alright?"

"But–"

"Shush. We'll have to tell my parents –now, don't give me that look—. They won't like it, but they'll just have to live with it. And they won't kill anyone, no matter how much they want to."

"They'll be really mad..."

"They'll be happy, eventually," she added, getting a small smile from him. "And of course I'll keep my job. It would be illegal if they fired me, and I'm too brilliant for them to let go."

"But what about the money? This is gonna be extremely expensive, just thinking about all the costs gives me a headache."

"We both work, and we both have savings. It'll be difficult, but we'll manage, I promise. And I'm sure our friends and family will help us if we ever need it. They'll probably check on us on every opportunity they got now."

"You're right, obviously. I'm sorry for losing my mind like this, it just caught me of guard. But what if we're not ready for this? Aren't we too young?"

"Yes, but younger people have gone through this and succeeded, haven't they? And well, we're obviously not ready, but I don't think anyone ever is. We'll make it through this in the best way possible, I promise."

"Thanks for the reassurance," he said while reaching out for her hand. "We've been through so many things, and yet this frightens me the most. How silly of me."

"Hey, it's completely normal. The unknown is always scary, and this just happened so suddenly. But hey, this is supposed to be something good, isn't it? I mean, it's not everyday you find out you're going to bring a new life to this world."

"Yeah, it's absolutely scary, but also great."


	14. Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is some sort of continuation from the drabble "Stranger". They got together again, and this is like the first time they kiss.

They stood in front of one another, less than a feet of distance between their bodies. The flames in his eyes reflected on hers, making them shine. There used to be a time when they emited light of their own, but for now, the borrowed glimmer was enough. They gazed at each other expectantly, until they both took the tiniest step forward. They tilted their heads, his downwards, her upwards, in a perfectly orchestrated dance... and then it happened .

One second, their lips brushed.

_She was standing in front of a mirror, scissors in hand. She took a strand of hair and chopped it off. As she cut the rest of her hair, thick tears fell down her cheeks. In order for her to recover her family, she had to go undercover, there was no other way to obtain information from the government._

**_She lost her identity._ **

Two seconds, their eyes closed.

_She was climbing something she assumed was a pyramid. When she got to the top and looked down, there was nothing more than immense vines. But underneath them, she felt a presence, something that urged her to get closer. She went down and discovered a robotic lion, a sentient being who gazed deep into her, and accepted her. Their minds and hearts joined in an eternal bond._

**_She won a purpose._ **

Three seconds, their lips fully connected.

_She was leaving them. It was too much responsibility for someone so young, the weight of the universe was in her shoulders and she couldn't hold it anymore. She barely knew these people, and she didn't feel she could trust them, not yet. She just wanted to find her family, so she gave up on them. But their faces, there was so much disappointment in them, and it crushed her._

_**She lost their trust.** _

Four seconds, the dance began.

_It was over, they had defeated Zarkon. But now, as they looked at the empty seat of their leader, they knew things would only get worse. This only brought more problems than it solved, and it would be hard to get back on track. The team would never heal until they found their friend._

**_She lost a mentor._ **

Five seconds, their lips parted.

_They had a new enemy, the war had gone on further than they expected, and the end didn't seem near. Still, after so long, their missing member finally came back, and he brought her brother along. Now, even though his broken face made her wonder the nightmares he must have lived, his determined eyes filled her with courage. Their father was gone, but as long as they had each other, there was hope._

**_She won strength._ **

Six seconds, their tongues clashed.

_The continuous battles, the constant training, and the never-ending repairings left her exhausted. This was one of those nights when the red paladin carried her tired frame back to her room to get a well deserved rest. He was always there, caring for her and trying to keep her safe, which Matt seemed to find a bit strange. This time, when he layed her down on her bed, she gave him a peck on the cheek to thank him._

**_She won his protection._ **

Seven seconds, her hands went to his hair.

_She was surrounded by enemies. They were too many, and no matter how hard she tried, more kept appearing. She wasn't fast, strong or agile enough to fight them off. She should be able to defeat them, but she couldn't. All that training was worthless, she had no escape. As the world around her went black, she thought about all the mistakes she had made. They were so many, and most of them could've been avoided. Not even the strong arms that held her tightly as she stumbled out of the pod convinced her otherwise._

**_She lost confidence._ **

Eight seconds, his hands went to her waist.

_She had decided to care for him as well. She constantly checked on him and made sure he was fine. It had been a particularly stressful fight that day, and he was releasing all the tension in the training room. However, it had been hours since he began, so she went looking for him. She interrupted what he was doing and manifested her concern for him. This broke the damn holding back his feelings, and he kissed her feverishly. She reciprocated the action._

**_She won his love._ **

Nine seconds, the kiss deepened.

_It was over, they were victorious. They had conquered, and were no longer needed. She layed down the cot, waiting for the shot that would erase it all. She would forget everything and everyone, just like the rest of her friends, her family. She hadn't made that decision, she didn't like it one bit. But they said it was for the best, that it would prevent any possible trauma. She felt the needle at her neck, and then everything faded into nothingness._

**_She lost herself._ **

Ten seconds, they pulled away and opened their eyes. There was a spark on her's that he hadn't seen in a long time, and he immediately knew. She finally remembered.

 


	15. Fear

Lotor was standing right in front of his prisioner, the red paladin. Keith's limbs had been chained to the wall, and his armor had been changed for some ragged pieces of clothing. The last thing he remembered before waking up in that place was having been in a terrible fight. The team hadn't been able to form Voltron because their enemies kept the lions away from each other. They must have knocked him out of battle and disabled Red to capture him, he just hoped his friends were safe.

Lotor wanted information about the group, their routines, plans, allies, weaknesses, etc. The prince had tried to beat the words out of him, but it would take so much more than a few punches to get him to talk. When he finally realized this, the Galra stopped this futile technique.

"I'm going to break you, sooner or later. I will do anything to get you to speak, and when I'm done, there will be nothing but a shadow of what you used to be," proclaimed an enraged Lotor. He then turned around and left.

Unfortunately, Keith didn't get to rest for long. Less than an hour later, Haggar came into the dungeon-like room. She was scarier than the prince, but he kept his face as calm as before. She didn't utter a word to intimidate him, she went straight to the point. Some strange lightnings surged from her hands and hit him. It felt like being shocked, and the sensation, although present on his entire body, was more painful in his head. The attack lasted only a few seconds but still left him numb. His mind felt empty, but at the same time he thought it was going to explode.

"I never thought you were a sentimental, I guess you're full of surprises. But I must say, what a petty fear you've got," the witch mocked while walking out into the hall. A few minutes later she came back, leaving the door open.

"I certainly expected more of you, but this does make things easier for us," she taunted. She turned her head towards the open door and gave an order in Galran to some guards he couldn't see. Two sentries came in, holding another captive.

"KEITH!" she yelled as they chained her to the opposite wall. "Keith, are you alright?! What have you done to him?!"

"PIDGE! Pidge, no! What are you doing?! Let her go!" he shouted frantically. "DON'T YOU DARE PUT A HAND ON HER!"

"Oh, but I won't touch her," said Haggar with a sinister grin. "But then again, I didn't touch you either, did I?"

His heart was pounding wildly on his chest, the sweat dripped down his forehead, and his breath was ragged. He couldn't believe what was happening, it felt so unreal, like an extremely vivid nightmare. He struggled against his restraints as her screams filled the air, trying to free himself to no avail. Every second that passed was an eternity of torture for her, and he was forced to watch. He fought with all his might, but he was still bound; he screamed for the witch to stop, but she was deaf to his pleas. He could do nothing but shut his eyes, and wait for it to stop.

.

.

.

"So his weakness is a girl, huh? How pathetic," Lotor declared with disgust while looking at the hallucinating man.

"I know, but apparently it's very effective. It won't be long before he loses his mind, then he'll do whatever we tell him to. He'll be a fine servant, don't you think?" 


	16. Pen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normal life AU. Also, happy birthday Lance! He's bae, so he's in this chapter. And I don't know how to write poetry.

The three best friends were hanging out together. They were currently sitting on the café in which they always met during the weekends, sipping their beverages and enjoying their time together. When they attended college, they had met here every weekend; even when they graduated, they had kept coming back. It had become a tradition of theirs, and they had vowed to honor it for the rest of their days.

"So Pidge," Lance broke the silence. "Are you finally gonna tell us who your boyfriend is?"

"Yeah, it's been what, two months since you've been seeing each other? I think we ought to know his name," added Hunk. "What if he's a murderer on the run?"

"Such nice words, you're so encouraging," she replied sarcastically. "Don't worry, I'm still alive, thank you very much. But why do you want to know so badly?"

"We're your best friends, we should know!" proclaimed Lance. "Besides, your taste in people is awful, you always date weirdos."

"You're right, my taste in people is awful, just take a look at my paranoid friends," she mocked.

"Pidge, we're just worried about you. You've had bad experiences before because of weird people, we only want you to be fine," Hunk said in a reassuring tone.

"I guess you're right," she said with a sad voice, memories of bad times coming back at her.

"Hey, it's over now," soothed Lance while both men put a hand on her shoulders. She quickly dismissed the intruding thoughts with a shake of her head and took their hands off her shoulders to squeeze them.

"So," she smirked. "You want a name, huh?"

"Please, tell us who it is!"

"We're dying to know!"

"I've got something better," she proudly said while their faces shone with anticipation. She pulled out her phone and started scrolling through her pictures. When she finally found the one she was looking for, she turned the phone around for her friends to see. It was an image of a man staring at the sky, seemingly unaware of the camera.

"He doesn't like photos, so I took it while he was distracted. What do you think?"

"The guy's a looker, I'll give him that," stated Hunk.

"I've seen him before, but I don't remember where," said a squinting Lance. "Who is he?"

"Keith Kogane."

Lance's eyes opened wide and the other two thought they would pop out of his head. "No way! You're dating Keith freaking Kogane!" he yelled at the top of his lungs and people looked at him strangely.

"You know him?" Pidge asked concerned.

"I wish I did, he's like, wow!" Lance said starstruck. "He recently published a book, and it's awesome! He's got great critiques, and word's getting out that he might be one of the best modern pens. Seriously, this guy is a star on the rise! Why didn't you tell me before?"

Unbeknownst to the popular opinion, Lance enjoyed reading very much. He was an avid fan of literature, and devoured books as if they were food. He liked to discover new authors, so he was constantly checking up the related news.

"I didn't know he was a writer," murmured a flabbergasted Pidge.

"He started by posting on social media his works. He made Twitterature, actually, still does," explained Lance.

"Well, he does says very pretty phrases to me. The other day while we were in the park, he started talking quite poetically about the flowers that grew there."

Then his eyes widened once more. "Wait a minute," he whispered and took out his phone. "Did he mention Camellias?" he wondered while furiously typing and scrolling.

"Yeah, he talked a lot about those. I never thought he would know so much about flowers."

"You should read this," he said while handing her his mobile. It showed a Twitter post, and what she read there shook her to the core.

It was a micro-poem about a girl and how she resembled a Camellia, because she held his destiny in her hands. It was such a lovely poem, and the descriptions seemed to fit her perfectly. She checked the date in which it had been posted, and it had been the same day they went to the park. She never would have thought anyone would write about her.

She loved being the Camellia.


	17. Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a tease than the tease chapter :D

Allura was in her room gossiping with the mouses when someone knocked on her door. She went to greet whomever had visited her, and was surprised to find the red paladin on the threshold.

"Hello Keith, what brings you here to my chamber?" she questioned kindly but straightforward.

"Hi, uh, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?" he asked nervously.

"How can I assist you?"

"Well, I was hoping you could give this to Pidge," and as he said this, he took out a headband from his pocket. It was an ivory piece of fabric with shiny green lines that resembled vines.

"This is so pretty! Where did you get it from?" she inquired awed.

"I got it at the space mall yesterday," he explained. "Her hair's been getting in her face lately, with it growing and all, so maybe this could help."

"How thoughtful of you," Allura observed pleased. "But why won't you give it to her yourself?"

"Ahm, you see, it'd be a bit weird. But if you gave it to her and told her you found it in your stuff, she'd definitely accept it."

"Wait a dobash, I can't tell her you bought it for her?"

"Yes, I mean no," he stuttered, something Allura had never seen before. "Don't say anything about me, take all the credit."

"But–"

"Please," he conveyed the urgency of his request in that single word. "I have my reasons."

"Alright," she sighed defeatedly. "But you'll tell me when you're ready." He nodded hurriedly while giving her the gift.

"Thank you," and with that, he left.

* * *

 

Keith was sparring against some bots on his own, when someone entered the training room. He rushed to defeat his designated enemies before turning around to greet the newcomer. It was Pidge, who was wearing his present.

"Hey Keith, figured you'd be here," she smiled softly. "Have you seen my new headband?"

"It looks nice. You needed it for your bangs, right?"

"Yeah, it's very useful, and pretty. Allura gave it to me," she stated calmly.

"Great!" he tried to be nonchalant.

"But, you know what's curious?" her voice abruptly droped an octave. "A few days ago, I asked her if she had one she could borrow me, but she didn't find anything," she started walking slowly towards him. "And suddenly yesterday, she came up to me with this," she pointed to her head, she was getting closer.

"It must have been hidden or something," he gulped when she stopped only a few inches in front of him.

"That must be it, yes," she agreed half-heartedly. "Your hair is getting longer each day," her voice seemed to get even lower. She ran a hand through his tresses and let it resting on his neck. "Perhaps you'll need a headband of your own soon."

"Yeah," he said incredibly breathy. She was too close, her touch was warm, and it made his brain foggy and sluggish. He couldn't think of anything to say.

"You could look in the space mall, next time we go there." Her fingers dug into his scalp and started rubbing softly. "I'm sure you'll find something suiting." She leaned in and whispered in his ear: "Something... hot."

That made him break out of his daze. He wrapped his arms around her waist, turned his head and kissed her full on the lips. She reciprocated avidly, and although it was quite heated, it ended very quickly.

"Allura is terrible at keeping secrets," she murmured while he peppered little kisses along her jaw. "And if you keep acting like a lovesick puppy, she'll find out about us."

"Maybe I want her to know about us," he stopped pecking her to look at her eyes, completely serious. "I think it's time."

Her face light up with his words and she kissed him with a renewed fervor.

 


	18. Illness

Ever since they had gone to that colorful planet where they stocked on supplies, Pidge hadn't been feeling well. She got a little lightheaded back in the surface, but she thought the atmosphere was just too heavy for her. Her environment had looked foggy, like in a dream, and every sound had appeared to be far away from her. Her body was also slightly heavy, and it took a considerable amount of effort to move around. She figured it would be over once they returned to the castle, but the sensation actually worsened. She had been on board for less than ten minutes, and so far, she could barely walk. Every step she took was like lifting weights with her legs and walking on lead. Her eyes started unfocusing, and small specks appeared at the edges of her sight. Her head began pounding, making her unable to think clearly.

Unfortunately for her, the rest of the crew had dispersed around the place and went to unknown locations. She made it all the way to the lounge, she had never noticed how far it really was from the hangars, and plopped down on a couch. The world started spinning with this sudden movement, so she closed her eyes and raised, with much difficulty, her hands to clutch her head. Due to this, she didn't notice someone else had entered the room.

"Hey Pidge," said the newcomer. "You have a headache?" they asked when they noticed the position of her hands.

She couldn't make out the words that had been spoken to her, all she could hear was the blood rushing to her head. All she could recognize was her nickname, so she managed to open her eyes as a reply. She stared at the hazy silhouette she assumed belonged to Keith, struggling to stay awake. She was so tired and wanted nothing more than to shut down her system and sleep. But first, she had to tell him she was feeling sick, so the team didn't worry about her.

Seeing that the usually very vocal girl wasn't answering his question, he got closer to her in an attempt to inspect her looks. She was paler than normal and seemed about to pass out. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could utter a word, blood started leaking from her nose. In less than a blink, she had collapsed on the couch.

 


	19. Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to sleep. This went from cute to creepy to nope. Also, revenge on the klance from chapeau thwee(?)

When he was younger, he had never really liked to sleep. A million thoughts invaded his mind and prevented him from closing his eyes and shutting down his brain. There were so many things he could be doing, instead of wasting his time just laying around. He thought it was useless, no matter how many times everybody told him his body needed to rest. He didn't need to relax, he needed to become stronger. Not for him, but for his team.

That changed because of her. She also had trouble falling asleep, but unlike him, she realized she needed to find a solution to those endless nights of wandering thoughts. So she decided they could fight restlessness together, and seeked for his help. She looked for him every single night, and then dragged him straight into his room. At first he was reluctant, but when he discovered that she was going to drag him whether he wanted it or not, he finally accepted.

But that was the easy part. The real problem was falling into the arms of Morpheus. They tried a lot of different ways to snooze, like drinking special tea or counting sheeps, but none of those worked. She would drop him off in his room and leave for her's, only to return when she didn't manage to doze off. Then they would talk until exhaustion was at it's most and they passed out.

One particularly cold night (the temperature regulator was having some failures), they found the solution to their problem. She had returned to his room once more, but she seemed to be freezing, so he offered her a blanket. However, he was currently using the only blanket he had, so he decided to share it with her. They huddled together for warmth under the cozy mantle, unaware of the fact that they were cuddling, and fell asleep almost immediately. They hadn't felt so refreshed and well-rested in a long while.

Since that moment, they began to share a bed. They had broken the barrier of shame during their late conversations, and they didn't see anything wrong with their actions. They just slept, and it was the only way they had found so far to get some shut-eye. Of course, he had to go and ruin it all.

She was always the first to nod off, so he took the couple of minutes he had before he followed suit as an opportunity to observe her. It had started innocent enough, like a mere appreciation of the calmness showing on her features. Then it slowly evolved into something more intimate, more obsessed. He would smell her hair, caress her cheeks and wrap his arms around her middle. Luckily for him, she was quite the heavy sleeper, and never noticed a thing. He knew it was wrong, that he was overstepping her boundaries, but he couldn't help himself.

The universe took care of stopping his actions. He never spotted the signs that she was slipping through his fingers until it was too late. She seemed to be happier lately, more distracted and also busier. He didn't mind her unusual behavior, but then she started skipping their late meetings. Rare absences became routine, until she barely came to his room at all.

And then she came one last time, only to thank him for being there for her, and declaring that she wouldn't return anymore. Apparently, all those times she hadn't gone to see him, she had told him beforehand she wouldn't go because she had other plans. Plans which involved dates with none other than Lance. They were dating, and he had been too busy picturing her sleepy self to actually listen to her. And now, she went to her loving boyfriend whenever she needed rest and comfort, instead of him.

If only she knew she had doomed him to his wandering thoughts. 


	20. Alarm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry :D

Everyone was waiting patiently on their seats for the best man to begin his speech. Lance was the only one standing, and he had a microphone on his hand. The newlyweds looked at him expectantly, curious and a bit nervous. Keith shot him a glare, as a warning of what would happen to him if he sayed something indecent. He laughed sheepishly at that empty threat, and started to talk with a confident smile.

"So the nerd and the emo got married, the walking memes have finally joined," this earned some chuckles from their friends. The groom just lifted his eyebrow daringly and the bride scoffed, both in pretendend indignation.

"I could tell you all how great they are for each other, how they were a match made in heaven," this cued the public to say 'aww'. "But you already know that, I mean, just look at them. Those terrible hairstyles obviously belong together. I'm afraid for their kids though," and the audience immediately began laughing. Even the couple couldn't fake displeasure and laughed along.

"Anyway," he continued once the chortles had died out. "That's why I've decided to tell you all the story of how they met, for the second time. This is something that has been kept a secret from everyone, even the two involved, so listen closely."

>>Keith and I had been sharing an apartment for almost a year when she returned to our lives. You see, we had already met her before at the Garrison academy, but apparently these two never paid attention to their surroundings, or maybe their memory is just that awful. And believe me, they did interact a few times. I know it because Pidge was part of my team for an entire year, and Keith was my so-called rival. Basically, my competitive spirit forced them to at least acknowledge each other's existence.

>>Then life went on, Keith became my best friend and we lost sight of Pidge. But the universe wanted you to be together, this much can't be denied. That fateful day, incredible circumstances connected your destinies, and thanks to that we're all here, celebrating your happiness.

>>That was such a terrible day, remember man? First, you woke up late, then you missed the subway and had to wait for the next one. Then, this sub broke down in the middle of a tunnel and you were stuck for quite a while, without phone service. And when you finally got out, you received an angry call from your boss, who decided to fire you after a long rant. Was it also raining? It probably was. The point is, it was such an ordeal.

>>So you decided to drown all your problems in a coffee mug, like a true unemployed emo. And you met the waitress, some cute girl who you never realized already knew. The same one who's now sitting beside you. But I must confess, this meeting wasn't fully caused by coincidences. The previous day I had borrowed your clock, but I forgot to set back on the alarm. It was my fault all those bad things happened to you, but I also made this wedding possible, in some twisted way. So, sorry not sorry.


	21. Uncomfortable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Banter with fluff, nuff-knife-nice!

"I hate this place," said a really pissed off Pidge. She was squirming in her tiny corner, trying to find the perfect position to sleep, and failing miserably. Not that it was her fault.

"Well, sorry but there's nothing we can do about it," replied an equally disgruntled Keith. He was also twisting in a vain attempt to get comfy on his own corner, but wasn't as vocal as her.

"Next time, I decide where we hide. Preferably a place that isn't so darn crammed and cold!" she declared acily.

"You do that, I'm sure the bad guys will patiently wait while you make a list of pros and cons," he retorted with as much venom. She scoffed, all riled up.

"That's if you don't kill us before, what with your risky stunts and oh-so-heroic moves," she noted sarcastically.

"If it weren't for me, we wouldn't be here!" he claimed with indignation.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," she challenged.

"You know what, fine. Why don't you leave and go look for a better place? Go ahead, be my guest," he told her while pointing away from him.

"I would, if you hadn't sealed the freaking entrance!" she was begging to yell.

When they came flying in Red with a bunch of ships on their tail, they had accidentally caused a lot of rocks to fall in front of the opening of the cave, successfully trapping them in. Unfortunately, Red had taken serious damage from the heated persecution, and shut down to recover.

"Oh," was all he could muster.

"You forgot, didn't you?" she asked much calmer than before.

Since Red was out, they decide to wander further into the cavern in hopes of finding a way out. However, the cavern only seemed to extend into a never-ending void, so they stopped their fruitless mission. They had walked for quite a while, so instead of going back, they chose to stay on that particular area. All this events had caused the problem of the entrance to escape the red paladin's mind.

"Yeah," he answered sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen."

"It's not really your fault this place is so horrible," she admitted embarrassedly. "You had no idea."

"About that, why don't we go back and stay in Red's cockpit?"

"Oh, right! How didn't I think of that before?"

"The rocks digging into our backs made us forget," he joked while standing up.

"Those sharp edges don't let us think straight," she followed along.

They quickly returned to where they had come from, and got inside the lion's jaw. It was nicer than the rocky walls, but still a bit cold, so they ended up cuddling (only for heating purposes, nothing else they swore). The nice and renewed environment made them feel the tiredness, and it wasn't long before they started nodding off.

"I'm sorry," she whispered sleepily.

"For what?" he wondered just as dazed.

"I didn't mean all those things I said, I was just uncomfortable and mad, and let it all out on you."

"It's alright, I did the same."

"But now I'm so comfortable, how can you be so soft?" she mumbled before finally falling into deep slumber, leaving him a blushing mess.

Red would later bother him to no end about his softness.

 


	22. Spellbound

Ever since they had lost their red paladin to the Galra, things hadn't been the same. Once again, Allura had to step up and pilot a lion, just like she had when Shiro disappeared. It seemed like there was always someone missing, someone they had to retrieve. This time, they had lost their right arm during a battle, and hadn't been able to recover it for almost a month.

When they finally came upon him, it was only because the Galras wanted them to. The leaders of the empire had allowed the team to find it's missing member only to gloat and taunt. The person they found wasn't the brave and reckless man they knew. He was now an experiment, a killing machine who worked for the wrong side. They had messed him up with magic and torture, and turned him into nothing but an animal.

However, they knew his real self was still there, somewhere in the back of his mind. They had realized this when, in the middle of a battle where he was basically hunting them down, they saw a glint of recognition shine in his eyes whenever someone talked to him. It appeared a only for a fleeting second, but was there nonetheless. They also noticed that whenever this happened, he started doubting his actions, and took advantage of it. Eventually, they forcefully took him with them and locked him up in the castle, where he would remain until they learned how to fix him.

Shortly after, the gang managed to trap a druid. They now had the alien tied down, and were preparing to interrogate it. Fortunately, Coran had recently found a fruit that could be used to produce a truth-inducing serum that worked on many types of aliens. After he had successfully brewed the serum, they poured it down the druid's throat, hoping it would get the job done.

"What have you done to our friend?" asked a furious Shiro. The druid just stared at him with hatred. "Answer me!"

"Brainwash," the alien had tried to resist, but ultimately failed.

"How can we undo it?!"

"You can't," it declared maliciously.

" _How can we undo it?!_ " repeated an exasperated Shiro.

"There's nothing you can do, useless scum," it grinned evilly.

"Shiro, wait," said Allura, getting right in front of the druid. "You say there's nothing _we_ can do, so tell me what can be done to undo it."

"You're smarter than I thought," it practically growled. "Haggar is a witch obsessed with fée tales, how do they solve problems in most of them?"

While the humans remained confused, the alteans eyes grew wide with realization. They all left the room in a hurry, the paladins waiting for the alteans to explain.

"I believe you know fée tales? Well, in Altea these stories are quite famous amongst younglings," explained Coran.

"Most of them involve an evil witch getting in the heroes' way, but they always defeat her at the end," continued Allura.

"And they usually do this by breaking her spells with a romantic demonstration of affection between the main characters."

"That also happens on Earth, but how is that important?" wondered Hunk.

"Didn't you just hear what the druid said? It basically told us the solution to the brainwashing is a kiss!" exclaimed Lance.

"That's right, but it has to be specifically a romantic kiss," replied Coran.

"Well, Pidgeon, I guess you'll have to be his knight in shining armor," declared Lance. Everyone turned to look at her quizzically, while she unconsciously shrinked under their gazes.

"There's uhm, something you should know," she nervously began.

"Our beloved arms are secretly dating," Lance spared her the embarrassing explanation. "They have been for quite a while, I accidentally discovered them a bit before Keith was captured. But hey, now you get to save him!"

Although she got a few wary glances, they decided it wasn't the moment to press further. Instead, they immediately took her to the chamber where they held their friend, urging her to break the spell.

Lance would later on create a fairytale about them, with the knight being a gremlin and the prince being a furry. 


	23. Misery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Season 3 got me all hyped and distracted, so forgitme for the low quality on this one.

He had left her when everything was over. No more fighting, freedom finally, and the first thing he decided was to let go. He said he didn't want to drag her down, that he was nothing but dead weight. So he broke it up, and threw all the moments they had shared to the wind.

_"We can't do this anymore."_

However, the wind carried back the memories and whispered in her ears. It haunted her with the past, and taunted her with the future. He had thought it would be easy for her to move on, but he was always there at the back of her mind. She could live without him, but that didn't mean she wanted to.

_"You don't need me."_

Still, she tried to distract herself. She went to college and graduated with honors. She followed her passions and began doing what she enjoyed the most. She got a job, got recognition and got stability. But she was never able to get him out of her mind.

_"You deserve someone better."_

People were interested in her, and seeked out her affection. She attempted to maintain her relationships, but they always ended up in total disaster. No matter how much she wanted to fall for someone, she couldn't. Her heart wasn't her's to give, for he took it with him a long time ago.

_"Stay away from me."_

She lacked that thrill, that sensation that had only appeared with him. So she decided to find him again. He wasn't precisely hiding, but he was still hard to locate. Imagine her surprise when she discovered the man wasn't entirely how she remembered. He was a mess, a walking shell, empty and broken.

He rejected her help at the beginning, but a lot of years of loneliness had made him weak. He fell for her once more, and accepted what she offered. Yet, it didn't last long, because he regained his stubbornness. She had wanted to save him, and although he caved at first, he soon returned to his old ways.

However, she didn't left like he thought she would. She stayed, and was willing to give up her perfect little life just to be with him. He couldn't let her do it, but he had no remedy, no salvation.

They made a deal. She would live her life as she had so far, and every once in a while, she would return to him. They would be together for some hours, maybe even days, and enjoy the love of the old times. Then go back to pretending nothing ever happened, that they didn't even know each other.

And although those fleeting moments made them feel the rush of love, they also tore their lives away. 


	24. Defiance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of Latte (is that the ship name?). Lance is so ship-able. The first prompts were easy piece lemon squeeze, these are difficult difficult lemon difficult.

"Fight me!" Matt declared with a serious face. Keith just raised a brow at the weird request.

"Excuse me?" he asked, hoping to get a reasonable explanation.

"Since you're now dating my sister, the logical thing I must do is challenge you into a combat," he said without missing a beat.

"Sounds absolutely reasonable," replied the paladin, sarcasm dripping through his words. "Why don't you consult Pidge before doing anything rash?"

"Says you, the epitome of thorough thinking," now Matt was the sassy one.

"Let's go get her, shall we?"

And like that, they both went to look for the girl. They found her in Green's hangar, doing some repairings and checking everything was functioning adequately.

"Pidge, Matt smoked something and now wants to fight me," declared Keith.

"What are you talking about? That's not what I said! Katie, don't listen to this fool, he's just trying to escape his destiny!" yelled the other boy. She just looked between them, curious and very confused.

"I'm sorry, you lost me," she wasn't understanding anything.

"I figured I had to ensure your safety and honor by challenging him to a fight," explained Matt. Then he turned to Keith and loudly voiced: "Thou must prove thy worthyness!"

"See? He obviously smoked something." She turned to face her brother.

"Matt, why? I didn't challenge Lance when you two started dating," she tried to dissuade him.

"No, you threatened to throw me into space if I dared hurt him," he glared at her.

"Well, someone had to give you 'the warning'," she has the decency to look sheepish.

"So much for loving your brother," he added while putting his hand on his forehead in a dramatic gesture. "Fortunately for you, I'm a good sibling who's actually giving 'the warning' to it's rightful receiver."

"So this is your revenge for that one time, huh? Nicely played, you almost got me for a moment," she smirked, seeing right through his plan.

"You don't believe me? Dear sister of mine, my intentions are nothing but true. That thou doesn't believe me hurts me so," he was back to being a theatrical drama queen.

"Knock it off," she rolled her eyes. "Hanging out so much with Lance is getting to your head."

"I'll knock it off when Emo McFurry fights me," he sneered, droping the act.

"Anytime," said the offended boy while scowling.

"No one will fight anyone," hurried to say Pidge. "Matt, do you want me to give Lance 'the warning'?"

"Katie, how did you know? You're such a mind reader!" the sarcasm was back.

"Shut up, Matt," she just laughed. "I'll be right back." And she left the two boys in the room. The remaining paladin tried to walk out behind her, before being stopped by the other boy.

"Oh not so fast, Mr. Emo. Don't think you'll get away without receiving 'the warning'." Matt told him with a deathly gaze. Keith gulped, finally getting nervous.

"You do anything to hurt my little sis, the slightest mistake, and you're out. Remember I was in space prison, I know things." Matt was being extremely creepy, which had never happened before. He was usually so happy and cheerful, that it caught him off guard.

"Hope you two are happy!" It was extraordinary how fast he could switch moods.


	25. Anticipation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't noticed last chapter was so crack and cringy, so I apologize deeply. Hopefully this is better (friendly bonding yay!).

Pidge was standing in front of a mirror on Allura's room, staring intently at her reflection while her friend tried to make the mess she called hair look presentable. She was wearing a loose white dress that had been lend to her. It was quite simple, maybe even plain, but it was the traditional outfit for the ceremony in which she would participate.

When Allura finished accommodating her curls in a decent hairstyle, she put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her face through the mirror. While the princess's eyes had an excited gleam, the younger girl's had nothing but uncertainty in them. She was fiddling with the dress, and her face was a transparent mask of distress.

"Would you like to tell me what's wrong?" asked the princess kindly. Pidge gaped like a fish a few times before speaking her concerns.

"Isn't this too rushed?" the girl answered with another question. Allura took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was to come.

"It may seem like you're rushing things since none of this was planned, but the best things in life are spontaneous. You can't control what will happen, you can only learn when to take chances, and when to step aside," Allura explained wisely, remembering the advices her parents would give her when she was still too young to understand. The other girl stared at her in awe, silently mulling over this new knowledge.

"But, do you think this is the right decision?" she wondered aloud when she slipped out of her trance.

"That's something only you can tell," Allura replied honestly. However, she saw how the worried girl deflated, and thought that perhaps a little nudge would take away her doubts. "But personally, I'm very excited for this event. The Venuvians are renowned across the universe for their gorgeous and meaningful bonding ceremonies. The fact that they are communal gives everyone the opportunity to integrate, which is great. Since they happen so rarely, given the incredibly large lifespan of the Venuvians, it's almost a miracle we arrived just in time for one. This is one of those things that only occur once in a lifetime, an unprecedented chance."

"When you put it like that, it sounds like a dream come true," stated Pidge a little bit dazed by the sudden rant. "And I really want to do this, I really want to be a part of this..."

"But something is pulling you back," murmured the princess in realization. The paladin just nodded.

"I keep thinking of my mom. She hated when she missed a part of my life, whether it was a petty school festival or a graduation. She loved seeing her baby grow up, and I feel like I'm betraying her. She's already missed years of important events, and this would be like the final straw," she let out all that was bothering her, trusting her friend. Allura sighed and hugged the smaller girl, trying to calm her down.

"I guess you were hoping a situation like this wouldn't happen until you were back on Earth?" she felt Pidge nod against her shoulder. "Listen, if you feel like you're ready to take this step, then don't hesitate. It's your life, and given all the danger to which you subject yourself daily, you may not have a chance later on. I'm sure you're mom will understand when you see her again, and besides, we can record the whole thing. But you can't let a concern like this stop you from what you really want. Go for it."

The two girls broke the hug and looked at each other with understanding. A happy grin took over Pidge's face, who tightly embraced the princess again to show her gratitude. Later that evening, as Allura watched the couple of paladins be surrounded by beautiful tiny specks of light, she noticed these weren't as bright as her friends' smiles. 


	26. Companion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unrequited crush (also I'm multishiper, that's why some chapters have side pairings or sometimes the kidge stuff is one-sided).

Keith walked around the galery, curiously observing the different reactions to his paintings. That night had been the great opening, and judging by the amount of people who had come, it was a huge success. Chilly beats played as the background for interesting chats, and the dim lights gave the place a surreal sensation. As he exchanged some words with other people in the art business and eavesdropped on some conversations about his works, he started gaining confidence. A good number of his pieces had already been sold, and the majority of the comments were quite positive.

And then he spotted someone amidst the crowd. Perhaps it was the fact that he was already a bit tipsy, but he swore that particular person seemed to be taken straight out from a dream. The elegant pose and the shadowy silhouette were enthralling and lured him in. Without thinking it twice, he directed his steps towards that vision, determined to discover if he was being delusional or if he had finally found his muse.

When he arrived next to the person, he almost had a disappointment when he saw just another mortal. That was, until he saw the eyes. Those glimmering orbs were the exact opposite of the darkness that had originally attracted him. They were stars like the ones dusting the night sky, darkened suns that hadn't found the passion to explode yet. It shocked him so, that he forgot to introduce himself.

"Uhm, do you need anything?" asked the woman who had captivated his senses, bringing him back to reality.

"Uh– no, I was just looking around. Yeah," he stuttered, failing to come up with a decent excuse for staring at her for heaven knows how long. He was usually very articulate around prospective contacts, but the impression she had caused on him was overpowering.

"Alright," she replied nonchalantly while turning around, probably to get away from him.

"Wait," he put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from leaving. Flames flared on his hand where it touched her skin, bringing some sense back into his head. "I was thinking about buying this piece, would you recommend it to me?"

"Isn't that your decision? Why are you asking a complete stranger?" she wondered suspiciously, eyeing warily his hand. This cued him to release his hold.

"You seem like someone who knows about this things," he answered honestly. She looked at him with an inspecting gaze before turning back at the painting and sighing.

"The technique is neat and certainly nice to the eyes, but I've seen better. However, there is something beneath all the precise strokes and detailed scenes. It's like an underlying chaos behind the calmness, something dark and enticing that is hidden by the apparent perfection. I'd definitely buy it."

He could only stare at her once more, amazed by her sudden analysis, and pleased with her opinion. There was a passion burning deep in her eyes as she explained that called out to his most feral desires. But as he was about to respond to her rant, someone appeared to break the spell.

"Katie, there you are!" Lance said cheerfully as he hugged her from behind. Lance was a fellow artist, and had studied in the same place as Keith. They talked every now and then, and remained as good acquaintances. "I see you've met the man of the night!"

"Oh, so you're the one responsible for all of this!" she was pleasantly surprised. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"He likes to keep an air of mystique around him, right?" Lance added nicely.

"That would explain a lot," she stated while looking back at the painting.

"She probably has you figured out already, with her being an art critic. She's brilliant, but scary," Lance tried to whisper the last part, but she heard him anyway.

"Well, that explains a lot," Keith mirrored her words. The closeness between the two didn't escape his notice, so he choose to comment on it. "So, you know each other?" he tried to ask casually.

"He's my companion for the evening," she smirked playfully while looking at the man in question.

"You sound so pompous when you put it like that. Can't you just say I'm your boyfriend?" Lance decided to play along.

"My boyfriend for the evening? Where's the fun in that?"

As the oblivious couple continued with their friendly banter, Keith watched them from afar. The precious gem he had discovered was not his to take, and would never be. He was doomed to stare only at the dark silhouette, for her glow was reserved for someone else.

 

 


	27. Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going so well, and then it ended up being crack (why am I like this?)

"Keith, can you please drive faster, I feel like I'm about to burst!" exclaimed an impatient Katie from the passenger's seat. She was trying (and failing) to take deep breaths, but then the contractions would return.

"I'm doing the best I can, but it's raining! If I go any faster, we might have an accident before arriving at the hospital!" he tried to say in a soothing voice, but instead it came out incredibly loud and angry.

"Don't yell at me! This hurts enough, I really don't need your tone right now," she stated, clearly offended.

"I wasn't trying to yell, my voice is betraying me!" he screamed once again. "It won't go any lower!"

"Then stop talking, you're making me nervous," she replied very unsettled. She closed her eyes and attempted to calm her breathing once again, gasping whenever a wave of pain hit her. There was still a considerable amount of time between the contractions, but that didn't really drown the fears of the couple.

Although there were powerful thunders roaring and blinding lightings all around them, the couple had different things occupying their minds to worry too much about the weather. They definitely should have payed attention to the storm though, because suddenly a lightning hit a tree, causing it to fall right in front of them. Thanks to Keith driving just a tinge faster than a turtle (and also, in a small percentage, to his reflexes), they managed to avoid hitting the fallen tree.

For a few eternal seconds, they remained sitted in silence in a stopped car, their brains still processing what had occurred. Until the contractions returned, way stronger than before. She started to groan in pain, unable to catch her breath. As soon as he saw his significant other suffering, he drove backwards to get onto another street and find an alternative route towards the hospital.

"How bad is it?" he asked without a hint of hesitation, the adrenaline taking over him.

"I want to yell at you for doing this to me, but I know we both did this," she answered with a strained voice. "So now I hate both of us."

"Hold on, we're almost there," he chuckled. He tried to go as fast as possible without it being unsafe, and they soon arrived to their destination.

They got registered, and after waiting for a little while, they transferred her into a room. Apparently, the scare from almost crashing in the middle of the tempest had caused her body to accelerate the process, but she still had to wait several hours to go into labor.

They waited patiently for the time to pass, and it seemed to drag on forever. All that rushing seemed nonsensical now that they thought it through . Several friends and family members stopped by to check on them, and sometimes offered to switch positions with Keith so he could get some rest.

After all that patient waiting, and going through a painful labor (her mother had warned her, but she still hadn't expected it to be so difficult), their kid finally saw the light. Luckily, it was an uneventful delivery, quite smooth and devoid of any problems.

The adults all cooed at the baby, a little girl who everyone said ressembled her mother, except for her parents. They honestly thought she looked like a red, swollen raisin, no matter how hard their family tried to convince them otherwise.

But obviously, when their baby grew older they wouldn't tell her she had had a quiet birth. Near-death experiences that weren't quite near-death experiences (more like accidents that may cause severe harm) were always more interesting.


	28. Wild

She had been enraptured by him since the first time they met. There was something about the way he acted that captivated her senses and made her question her entire existence. He was a volcano about to erupt, with the magma burning in his eyes and the ashes coming from his mouth. But behind that menacing appearance hid an enigma, the reason behind his hostility. So she tried to get closer, willing to overcome this challenge and solve the puzzle he presented. She tried a slow and careful approach, something that seemed natural and non-invasive. He had his defenses up, and wouldn't let anyone get close.

She showed extreme patience with her resolve, steadily taking down his barriers one by one. However, to get inside his life, she had to let him in as well. Every secret he shared with her, every hope, every fear, every dream, she had to return with one of hers. And as she stealthily sneaked inside of him, he did the same with her. It was a double-edged sword, one they didn't seem to mind. Before either of them realized, each was engraved deep in the other's heart. Yet, they were still in space fighting a war, and there were more important things to do.

So as time went by, they became fonder of each other. Their lingering gazes and defeated sighs were sometimes too obvious for the rest of the crew, but no one dared to say a thing. She kept her feelings in a flower, and every tender smile he gave her made it bloom. He kept his feelings in a flame, and every fond glance she gave him set it ablaze.

And then, after many years of fighting, it was finally over. The humans returned to their home planet, and they all went in different directions. But the flower didn't wither, and the flame didn't extinguish. It didn't take long for them to reunite, and when they did, all those suppressed feelings were released with a vibrant explosion of colors and life. The middle of nowhere was the only witness to the passionate affection these two shared. Nobody else would know about their feverish kisses and vehement caresses, nobody else would know about how they naked their souls and fused them together in the most beautiful dance the world would never see.

But it wasn't the same as it was in outer space. There was something in the atmosphere that held them back, something that contained their fervor. So they headed for the stars, blinded by sheer zealousness. It was until their lives almost perished that they finally understood that Earth was the only thing that would keep them grounded.

During a fight, an enemy was about to stab her to death when he came to her rescue. But instead of fending their opponents off, a savage instinct took over him. He became dangerous and territorial, a true animal. Only the terrified look in her eyes was able to bring him back to normal. That's when it dawned on them, what they had, if not properly controlled, could destroy their identities.

It was too wild to be healthy.


	29. Duality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation from the chapter "companion". It's kinda like an Art AU.

"I'm surprised you wanted to see me, we're not really that close," Keith said as he took a sip from his coffee.

"Oh, what are you talking about?" Lance said with a brilliant smile. "I know you better than you think."

Something in the way he said that made Keith's spine chill. They had met on a cafe by Lance's request. He apparently wanted to talk with him about something very important.

"Is that so?" Keith tried to play the oblivious card. "I'd hate to prove you wrong."

"Always so defensive," Lance chuckled, the friendly grin never leaving his face. "But trust me, you can't even imagine all the things I know about you. You're quite a character, I must admit."

"Is that a threat?" he wondered angrily. He had no idea what this guy's deal was, and that perfect smile was begging to unnerve him.

"I wouldn't call it that. It's more like... an advice. It'd be a shame if the wrong information were to get to the wrong ears," he stated as calmly as if he were talking about the weather.

"You have nothing on me, you're just bluffing," Keith scowled, trying to convince himself he had nothing to worry about.

"Am I, now? Perhaps you've forgotten about Arizona, but the police certainly hasn't. They haven't stopped searching for that killer orphan."

Keith's eyes widened in a frightened amazement. When he was younger, he had escaped from the orphanage in which he lived. It was a terrible place that murdered all the hopes of a future, so he and a friend of his decided to run away. However, something went wrong with their plans, and in their desperate attempts to get out, a terrible accident occurred. They blamed it on him, but unfortunately his friend hadn't lived to tell the truth. Since then, he took a different name and moved as far away as he could, trying to live a good life for both. But of course his past would come back to haunt him.

"How do you know that?" Keith hit the table with his fist, causing a few customers to look at them weirdly.

"Calm down, buddy. I have my sources," he smirked, aware that he got the other man right where he wanted. "And if you want me to keep my lips sealed, I have one simple request."

"What do you want?" he practically growled.

"Stay away from her," his voice dropped an octave and turned completely serious. "I know you've been seeing each other, she tells me everything. You need to stop."

"You're threatening me for a girl?"

"Don't act so surprised, cause you know you'd do the same if you had her. I saw the way you looked at her that night, and don't try to tell me those new paintings you've made of black silhouettes with sparkling eyes aren't her. I may not be the smartest man on Earth, but I'm not blind."

"Then you know I won't let go that easily."

"You will if you want to stay out of prison."

"Are you afraid she's going to see you're not good enough? That she'll fly to someone else's arms? With such non-existent confidence, she'll leave you before you can even blink."

"You don't get this, do you? Ever since we went to college, you've stolen everything from me. Every opportunity I've had, every accomplishment I made, you took it all away. But not her. You pour your soul into your paintings, I pour mine into her. She's my life, and you can't take that away, not her."

And that's when Keith understood that Lance saw the same in her as he did the night they met. She was a shadow, mysterious and enticing, dangerous and frightening. But she was also light and warmth, purity and hope. She could stop you from committing the worst crime, and then drive you to throw all care into the wind. You could get lost in her, only to find yourself. She was a mirror of all good and bad, she was life. His life.


	30. Writing

Nobody had seen it coming, not even them. Whenever they tried to think about it, they were not able to come up with a reasonable explanation. There was no triggering situation, no discernable epiphany. They attempted to pinpoint the exact moment in which they had fallen for each other, and noticed they couldn't. At first, the lack of a life-changing realization had been frightening, and they had feared for their relationship. Perhaps what they had had so far was a mere illusion, a consequence of necessity, a patch for loneliness.

But that couldn't be it, for what they had was too strong to be something ephemeral. They longed for company and cherished every second they spent together. Their caresses were tender, their kisses were frantic,their embraces were warm. They confided in each other and were caring. Safety and affection poured through every contact they had, whether it was physical or merely emotional. It was the most perfect love they could ever dream of. Naturally, it had to disappear.

The beginning of the end came in the shape of a book. A harmless little journal bound in a strange material that resembled leather, that portrayed blank pages. It had been given to them as a gift to bless their union. However, the giver's intentions were far from being kind, for the book contained a dark spell that would destroy all they had. The person who had given them such a horrible present wished them nothing but horrors, all because of spite.

Oblivious to the terrible fate that awaited them, the couple happily embraced the new opportunity. They decided to turn the raw potential into a scrapbook, filled with pictures and journal entries describing their life. They poured their memories into the lovely album, and everything began to fall apart. Every photo they pasted, every word they wrote, was a memory vanished from their minds.

Slowly, but certainly, they began forgetting about everything they had been through together, from the most shallow to the most significant. Eventually, the events that weren't depicted on their album also started slipping from their minds. It affected not only their relationship, but their entire lives. Soon enough, they weren't even capable of piloting their lions and working with the rest of the team because they couldn't remember how to do their job.

With hearts heavy with sorrow, their friends sent them back to Earth. They decided to stay together, willing to endure this nightmarish ordeal side by side. As time went by, they lost themselves more and more. And then arrived the day when they looked at the mirror, looked at each other, and couldn't recognize the person staring back at them. Still, they remained hand in hand, holding desperately onto that familiar sensation the person next to them awoke, wishing they could recall memories that had been there not so long ago. And they gazed at the album that always sat on the table, wondering who the people featured on those pages were.

There was no triggering situation, no discernable epiphany. They attempted to pinpoint the exact moment in which they had fallen for each other, and noticed they couldn't. Perhaps they had always loved each other. Perhaps it was always meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I skipped a day (I was tired yesterday ;;). So here's the final chapter, hope you enjoyed this prompt collection. It was way harder than I thought it would be, and some days I felt tempted to quit (writing is tough, I have no idea how you guys do it). Some drabbles make me very proud, others are just plain weird and end up being absolutely crack (sorry). But well, thank you very much for reading this, thanks to those who left their reviews, you made my days and encouraged me to keep on (also, you can totally call me out on my mistakes, I know there are many and nobody has said anything, like really, demand quality). All that's left to say is "Dobby is free!"


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